S3 E3: "Because he's Star Fleet."
In which the Discovery returns to a xenophobic, militaristic Earth. Sound familiar?
This week Sonia Van Meter leans into the present-day parallels when the Discovery tries to make a pit stop on Earth and, um, discovers that things have changed in the last 900-plus years. For one, the Federation hasn’t been around for a century. For another, earthlings are quick to violence, closed to outsiders, and pretty much a bag of dicks. How does our intrepid crew resolve the conflict? It takes a little bit of trickery, and then (sigh) some talking and listening. I know. This is another in our week’s theme of relentless optimism.
by Sonia Van Meter
I’m afraid there’s no gentle way to say this, folks: Earth sucks.
No, not our Earth. I still have some hope for us. But Earth of the future where the crew of Discovery finds themselves is absolutely godawful. Who are these condescending, arrogant, utterly selfish humans? They have no concern for anyone other than themselves. The very race of people who helped found the Federation and launch Star Fleet are abandoning all the principles they once fought for in favor of an isolationism spurred on by entitlement.
Well count me the hell out. This ain’t the future I signed up for. If this is where humanity is heading, I’ll get off at the next stop, thanks. But I’m getting ahead of myself…
The episode begins with Burnham sending correspondence to Discovery in the hopes that one day, somehow, they’ll receive it and understand the nature of the universe in which they find themselves. The Federation is gone. Star Fleet is all but abandoned. Burnham has become a courier, to survive mostly, but also to search for clues to what might have become of Discovery. As she writes, and as the days, weeks, and months pass by, we see the changes in her as she adapts to her new life in this new time. She is still the Michael Burnham we know, driven by integrity and resourceful as ever. But this new universe has no time or need for a lone Star Fleet officer, and slowly, bit by bit, she lets her Star Fleet identity slip into a subconscious character. She’s aware of the change, even saddened by it. She won’t stop thinking about Discovery, indeed loving them, but she is reluctantly coming to terms with her new reality -- that when she sees her crew again, if she ever sees them again, things will be different because she is now different.
“You can love someone, but still let them go.”
And just as our hearts are breaking for her, and we think we might need to realign what it means for her to be happy, her communicator beeps that familiar sound, yanking both her and us back into our familiar paradigm: Discovery is here.
“You can love someone, but still let them go.”
There are hugs, tears of joy, and an absolute flood of serotonin as Michael Burnham is reunited with the Discovery crew. The slow motion sequence showcases the nature of their relationships-- Tilly charges forward with exuberance, Saru gently folds her in his arms, Georgiou hangs back, her cool stare betraying her affection for Burnham even if her body language does not. It is a lovely moment .
Burnham reacquaints herself with her former home by walking the corridors with Saru. They talk of recent developments, and Burnham fills Saru in on 900 years of history. Everything seems to be returning to normal when a crewman emerges from a turbolift and greets her with a “Welcome back, Commander.” The sound of her title stops Burnham in her tracks. Normal is still a long way away.
After a debriefing of the situation, Discovery decides to head to Earth in search of the source of the last known Star Fleet dispatch, a 12-year-old message from an admiral saying they will take in anyone interested in rebuilding the Federation. Because they’re so far away from Earth they’ll need to use the spore drive to get there, and Burnham recommends they emerge outside of Earth’s sensor range so they can cruise into their home territory posing as a current-era Star Fleet vessel stranded by The Burn and not a relic from another time. Georgiou smirks. “I see your little walkabout has taught you a thing or two. I like that.” Of course you do, you calculating opportunist. But I do appreciate that no matter what time, what universe, what iteration of Philippa Georgiou we get, she’s always looking out for Burnham.
Normal is still a long way away.
Their course now laid before them, Saru turns to Burnham and says “I believe we are due for a conversation…” indicating they need to finally decide which one of them should have the captain’s chair, a question that was posed at the end of season 2 but never resolved. Saru gestures to the ready room, but Burnham interrupts with a smile so huge it’s almost incandescent.
“No no no, there’s no need. It’s you Saru…You brought this ship through time. You carried this crew on your shoulders. You are a captain in the truest sense of the word.”
One of the things I love so desperately about Star Trek is its ceaseless demand that people aspire to be the best versions of themselves and to push others to be the same. Saru, honoring a promise, is met with the respect, love, and fullest confidence of his junior officer. This humblest member of this humblest species has earned the trust and admiration of his entire crew, and not a single person even thinks to utter a syllable of protest when he is formally granted the title he’s so clearly earned, but not yet claimed. He slowly squares his shoulders and answers the call, and I know the words before they leave his lips.
“It would be my honor.”
Cue my chest clutching and silent tears.
“This ship bears the name Discovery. Never has that been more fitting or more prescient. She has carried us into the future and it will be our privilege to make that future bright. Let us begin, together.”
I said it last week, but it absolutely bears repeating: Saru is the best captain anyone could have imagined for this mission.
Saru is the best captain anyone could have imagined for this mission.
As the ship finishes up repairs, we find Tilly looking mournfully at a wall of Star Fleet insignias, dedications to those who didn’t survive the wormhole. Burnham emerges from the shadows, and sweet Tilly looks at her pleadingly. “We haven’t had a chance to say goodbye to the friends we’ve lost.” She prattles about her mother, her cousins, her friends, how all of them died centuries ago after living normal, even predictable lives. How different Earth must be. How foreign and unfamiliar. She stammers at Burnham, “I keep thinking there’s got to be something on Earth that we’ll recognize, right?”
Tilly and Burnham’s relationship, or rather Tilly’s boundless enthusiasm for Burnham, is truly a force to be reckoned with. As stoic, strong, and emotionally impervious as Burnham tries to be, she’s no match for Tilly’s unguarded love and childlike openness. The two crossed 900 years into an unfathomable future, and while Burnham had to come to terms with the idea of being alone for the rest of her life, Tilly never doubted she’d see her friend again. If Star Trek’s soul is the quest for discovery, its heart is its faith that the pursuit is always worth it. And our Tilly is all heart.
On the other side of the ship in a transporter room, Burham’s friend and partner Book beams aboard to be greeted by… Georgiou. She eyes him like a cat watching a bird in a cage. Book tells her she doesn’t look like Detmer or Tilly, and she cocks an eyebrow. “I’d rather kill myself.”
Book grins. “You’re Philippa Georgiou.” You bet she is, buddy. Might wanna take a couple steps back there, because behind that mischievous smirk is, well, probably a whole bunch of actual evil, and you’ve just become opponent #1 in the game of “Who Gets To Claim Michael Burnham For Themselves,” and Philippa Georgiou is not accustomed to losing. But their exchange does yield some interesting insight. While the audience might be seeing the internal conflict Burnham is wrestling with, I’m not sure the rest of the crew is aware of it yet. Georgiou, however, sees it right off the bat. “In another world I might have said Michael is somewhere being earnest and doing the right thing. In this one, I’m not so sure.” One could assume Georgiou is simply projecting here, hoping her protégé is at last learning from all her dark lessons. But maybe Burnham has let slip a little more of her Star Fleet identity than we’ve realized.
Burnham now takes Book to get the dilithium she promised him. He gapes at the sheer amount the ship has, points out that word will eventually get out about their supply. Discovery will become a target. But for now, would Book like to come with them? Burnham offers to take him with them to an entirely new part of the galaxy, one where he can start fresh, wipe the slate clean. He almost bristles, telling her how important his work is. She points out he can do the same work near Earth, without the many people he’s pissed off over the years all within striking distance. But he would also be useful-- his ship could mask Discovery’s dilithium. She implores Book, “We could use your help.”
“What ‘we’ are you really talking about?” I’m not sure Michael Burnham even knows right now.
But Book agrees, and the ship’s entire supply of dilithium is loaded onto his ship which is then tucked safely into a cargo bay, a plan Saru is powerfully skeptical about. In fact he’s become skeptical about many things to do with Michael Burnham. He asks her how she could relinquish the captain’s seat to him with no argument at all. Her decision baffles and concerns him. But Burnham explains quite plainly: “I’m the same person, Saru. And I’m not.” She’s been away from Discovery, in fact away from her known universe for a year, and the actions she’s had to take in order to survive have changed her. She may have made an excellent captain, in fact she may still, someday. But right now Discovery needs Saru’s leadership, the guidance of the person who brought them safely into the future. At least that’s what I assume Saru is hearing from Burnham. What I’m hearing from Burnham is “I’m not even sure who I am anymore how the hell can anyone expect me to lead an entire crew this is all entirely too much.”
I was not prepared for how much sorrow an episode that finally saw our crew back together again could possibly engender.
I was not prepared for how much sorrow an episode that finally saw our crew back together again could possibly engender. And folks, we’ve only just begun.
Book joins the bridge crew and assumes a position by Burnham, who is looking down at her station with an expression that seems to be an amalgam of familiarity, responsibility, and abject panic. All systems online and functioning, Saru gives the order to engage the spore drive, and in a spin and a flash, they’re passing by Saturn on their way to Earth. Just a moment later, Earth is at last on their view screen. Smiles alight on the faces of the bridge crew. She’s just as they left her-- a beautiful blue and white sphere, home to everything they once knew and loved. How lovely to at last be home again, even if home is likely to look a little different than last they saw it.
Seconds later, they get their first taste of just how different things have become. An automated defense system suddenly surrounds the planet with a global forcefield. Two ships appear, armed and pointing their weapons at Discovery. A hail comes through, and Saru opens the channel. A woman with a set jaw and a disapproving expression pops on screen.
“A view screen. How quaint.”
Excuse me?
“I am Captain Ndoye of the United Earth Defense Force…. Leave immediately, you are not welcome here.”
No really, EXCUSE ME? What the hell has happened on Earth in the last 900 years that a ship bearing the Star Fleet brand is no longer welcome here? What in the world is the United Earth Defense Force? And most of all, why is this woman being such an incredible jerk?
Saru does his best to spin a story that keeps them on friendly terms without giving away too much of their true nature. Ndoye asks question after question, her tone becoming more accusing with every word. Saru is almost aghast at how they’re being treated, but does his best to assuage her worries. As they talk, Burnham nods ever so slightly to Book and the two slink off the bridge elsewhere. Clearly Burnham has learned a thing or two on her walkabout.
After a few more moments of discussion in which it looks like Saru has calmed the woman’s nerves down enough for her not to open fire on them, Ndoye finally barks that in order for them to be allowed to visit Earth, their ship and crew must subject themselves to mandatory inspection. Saru politely responds that they will prepare to be boarded, but before he can reach the end of his own sentence, uniformed people are flashing on board into cargo bays, engineering, and even the bridge, all with phasers armed and trained on the crew. I ask you again, dear reader, what in god’s name has happened on Earth that these paranoid militants are now the ones running the show?
What in god’s name has happened on Earth that these paranoid militants are now the ones running the show?
Burnham and Book have made it back to quarters and are donning (for the first time) Star Fleet uniforms, so as not to arouse any suspicions among the inspection teams. Book makes an offhanded remark about how Earth seems to be about as hospitable as everywhere else in the universe, and again, my heart breaks just a little. Has this isolationist, xenophobic, “me first” attitude permeated the entire quadrant? Is there no trust left anywhere? As Burnham zips up the collar of her uniform she considers her reflection, somehow no longer as comfortable in Star Fleet stripes as it once was. Book looks about as comfortable as a man wearing a yoke. Burnham reassures him. “It’s just a uniform.”
“No, it isn’t.”
But if Burnham and Book aren’t quite sure about the uniform, Georgiou is absolutely chafing against the fabric. But she does it with her perpetually amused smirk on her face, having given herself the rank of Admiral, no less. Seeing Burnham in a corridor, she immediately recongnizes the kindred expression of a person no longer sure they’re where they’re supposed to be.
“Once you’ve gotten used to living by your own rules, not so easy to follow other people's, is it?” The conversation between Georgiou and Burnham starts out a bit antagonistic, but Georgiou has a gift for saying the quiet part out loud, and in this case, the quiet part is that Burnham is questioning whether she has a place on board Discovery anymore.
“Once you’ve gotten used to living by your own rules, not so easy to follow other people's, is it?”
“I see it in your eyes Michael. You’ve tasted freedom that you never even thought was possible. Freedom from the obligations of what others needed you to be. I’m not sure you ever knew who you really were without someone else to tell you, but you’re starting to, and this place no longer feels like your place.”
Georgiou’s words still ringing in her ears, Burnham walks into a meeting between Saru and Ndoye, who has finally conceded that Discovery may not be the mortal enemy she anticipated. Her demeanor only slightly softened, she explains to Saru that Earth has had to protect itself, defend itself, from dilithium raiders. After The Burn, Earth decided to isolate from the rest of the universe, becoming entirely self sufficient, and ignoring the concerns of anyone else. A particularly ruthless raider named Wen has been leading the charges most recently, and he’s wrought havoc on Earth, pushing the planet to become as untrusting of outsiders as they have. As shocking as the isolationism is to Saru and Burnham, what Ndoye tells them next is even more unbelievable-- Star Fleet hasn’t had a presence on Earth in more than 100 years. Saru is bewildered. “I don’t understand. Earth is no longer part of the Federation?”
“Why should we be? We can take care of ourselves.”
Saru and Burnham may never recover from hearing that statement. In truth, I’m not sure I will either.
Turning to more immediate matters, Burnham asks about the Admiral whose message they intercepted, the 12-year-old communiqué calling to anyone interested in rebuilding. Alas, that admiral is dead, and Saru and Burnham’s hope for the future begins to wither.
“I don’t understand. Earth is no longer part of the Federation?”
“Why should we be? We can take care of ourselves.”
Meanwhile the inspection teams have been tossing the ship like ticked off cops in a drug lord’s mansion, mocking the dated technology and ignoring the calls for care from Discovery’s crew. One particularly insufferable inspector, a 16-year-old named Adira, can’t seem to control her mouth or her curiosity as she yaps on about the “old stuff” and touches everything like a toddler with sticky fingers. Stamets looks like he’s going to erupt when Adira wanders into the spore drive interface demanding to know “WHAT’S THIS?? IT LOOKS LIKE AN INTERFACE.” Mercifully a ranking member of the inspection team reels her in with a reprimand. “Our job is to inspect, not engage.” Lean hard on that superiority big guy, you wouldn’t want to accidentally get to know some other human beings now would you?
The search not having turned up anything treacherous, the inspection teams wrap up their business just in time for the red alert to sound. Saru walks onto the bridge bringing Ndoye with him and demands a report. Wen’s ships, the dilithium raiders, have surrounded Discovery and are hailing them. Saru goes to respond when Ndoye snaps that their enemies don’t respond to conversation and any exchange will be fruitless, but Saru has had just about enough of being snarled at on his own ship. With confidence, determination, and a lot more force than we’re used to seeing from him, he puts Ndoye in her place: “You have no jurisdiction on my bridge.” Damn right, Saru.
Wen pops up on the view screen, shrouded in a very Darth Vader helmet and flight suit. He demands they surrender all their dilithium or be destroyed, yet again falling into a lazy rendering of a bad guy. Ndoye is now good and huffy, demanding Discovery leave Earth’s orbit and take the raiders with them, but she finds her transporters are no longer working. Sabotage? Perhaps. Naturally she accuses Saru of keeping them on board, who responds with such indignation I actually reached at my neck for pearls to clutch. But the raiders are coming, and now Discovery finds itself standing between a militant earth and a pillaging force. None of this is good.
Saru responds with such indignation I actually reached at my neck for pearls to clutch.
Burnham grabs Book from the mess hall. She’s got a plan, and even down-for-anything Book doesn’t like it. Over in engineering, Tilly and Stamets have found the reason the transporters aren’t working, and it isn’t technology from their era. The shifty 16-year-old is clearly to blame, but why? What’s her agenda? The raiders are preparing for an attack, Ndoye is still griping, and just when things don’t need to get any more complicated, Book’s ship takes off from the cargo bay along with all of Discovery’s dilithium, which is now an open secret to all involved parties. For the first time in three seasons, Saru allows a flicker of defeat to pass over his face. But he buckles down and takes command. He tries to hail Burnham, assuming she’s on Book’s ship, when Philippa jumps in. “If she responds to your hails, the raiders will think she’s working for you, and that will ruin her advantage!” Saru, not having a single conniving bone in his body doesn’t understand what she means, but Georgiou helps him to see that clearly she’s running a scam of some sort, and he needs to be patient and play out the game.
Ndoye, forgetting she’s not the one in charge, commands Earth’s forces to fire on Book’s ship lest the raiders get their hands on Discovery’s dilithium. Saru insists he will not stand for any attack on his crewmembers. But the moment is getting desperate.
On board Book’s ship, Burnham and Book trade coded ideas for how to handle the situation. The audience having absolutely no idea what they intend, Book and Burnham come to a decision and hail Wen. Burnham offers to make a deal for the dilithium-- the raiders can have all of Discovery’s supply provided they leave Earth’s orbit immediately. Wen knows a too-good-to-be-true deal when he sees one, but that much dilithium is clouding his judgement. As he considers, Book whispers to Burnham that he’s going to move them out of range of Wen’s weapons.
“No, not yet, Discovery will come through.”
“Saru doesn’t even know what we’re up to.”
“He’ll figure it out.”
“Yeah, and when he does, why is he going to come and rescue us?”
“Because he’s Star Fleet.”
Book doesn’t know what that means yet. But he’s about to learn.
The board is set. Earth is about to fire on Burnham. Saru can’t let that happen, but he also won’t attack Earth first. Georgiou is grinning up a storm in the midst of the chaos. With fire now being directed at Burnham, Saru does the only thing he can: He tells the helm to put Discovery in front of the fire. Detmer hesitates, saying the ship is only barely recovered from its crash landing, while Owosekun reassures her, the shields are at max! Saru raises his voice for what may be the first time in his life and reissues the order.
“Yeah, and when he does, why is he going to come and rescue us?”
“Because he’s Star Fleet.”
“Commander Burnham has never let us down; she will not do so this time.”
Detmer obeys. The ship is rocked by the attack, the advanced weapons destroy every inch of shielding. Another burst of firepower will unquestionably blow Discovery out of the sky if it stands between Earth and its target.
Back on Book’s ship, Burnham is negotiating with Wen again. Discovery can’t take another hit, which means whatever fire comes from Earth will be directed at the raiders, and will most likely destroy everything in its path. If Wen simply drops his shields, Burnham can beam over the dilithium, and everyone can be on their merry way. Wen hesitates for only a moment before complying.
Back on Discovery, the bridge crew is picking themselves up off the floor and reassuming their stations. Earth is preparing to fire again, but this time Discovery is completely without defenses. Saru commands them to hold their place between Earth and Burnham, with every soul on board knowing that their next breath could be their last. Then, with no explanation, the raiders power down their weapons and retreat. In the next moment, we know why.
In strolls Burnham with Wen at gunpoint. I do love a good caper, but good lord Burnham, take your time, why don’t you? With Wen on board Discovery, the raiders won’t continue their attack, and the Dilithium is now safely back on board Discovery where it belongs. But how to end this stalemate? Burnham puts Wen in front of Ndoye. “It’s time for you to talk.”
There’s name calling, one liners, character attacks, passive aggression. It’s like Thanksgiving at your in-laws but without the dried out turkey.
The next scene is almost comical. No, actually, it is comical. Ndoye and the still helmeted Wen bicker and snap at one another like children. Ndoye accuses Wen of unimaginable cruelty and violence. Wen accuses Earth of hoarding supplies and leaving everyone else out to dry. There’s name calling, one liners, character attacks, passive aggression. It’s like Thanksgiving at your in-laws but without the dried out turkey. Saru and Burnham keep trying to employ that good old Star Fleet diplomacy, when Philippa decides she’s had enough. She walks over to Wen and yanks off his helmet to reveal… a human being. Quite the heavy handed plot twist.
Meanwhile in a Jeffries tube, the sneaky Adira is messing about with our ship when Stamets’ voice out of nowhere sings up to her, “I know what you’re doing!” Knowing she’s busted, she crawls down to Stamets and tries once more to bully her way through the situation, but Stamets just smiles at her. “If you were going to report us, you’d have done it by now.”
No kidding. Turns out she was just fascinated by the spore drive and wanted to know more about it, but needed to sabotage Earth's portable transporters so she could have more time on board the ship. So maybe she’s not some sinister Earth spy force. Maybe she’s just… a curious kid. Makes her far more likeable, but I’d still like to grab her by the ear and tell her “NO.” Regardless, as Stamets explains to her how the spore drive works, complete with his own bodily interface mechanism, a look of wonder spreads across her face. Are there more engines like this? Nope. At least, not yet. I think you see where this season might go now, dear reader.
And finally, back in the sandbox, Ndoye and Wen are having, at long last, a real live adult conversation. Wen and his people aren’t raiders. They’re what’s left of a colony on Saturn’s moon Titan. Though the colony had become self sufficient, an accident left much of the livable space destroyed, and the planet no longer life sustaining. They sent a ship to ask Earth for help. Unfortunately Earth had long since learned that arriving ships rarely meant good things for them, so they fired on and destroyed the ship. From then on, Wen and his people took to taking without asking. Ahhh, how simple things would be if we all just listened to one another, amirite??
Ahhh, how simple things would be if we all just listened to one another, amirite??
If this franchise has a failing, and that is a very big “if,” it’s that sometimes the moral lessons they try to impart are a little clumsy. It’s quite convenient that the enemy Earth was so afraid of was in fact merely its brothers and sisters, and there are resources a’plenty to help the Titan colony rebuild. It’s rarely that simple in the real world. I don’t imagine a flag waving Trump supporter and a voracious Democratic Socialist would be able to see one another’s humanity during a single conversation after four years of disagreement, let alone a generation of actual war. But the lessons are still valid even if the parallels are a little harder to find. Looking for the humanity in our opponents is never, ever a bad thing. It may even invite us to take a closer look at our own.
But we’re not quite done yet. The battle is over, and promises are made between Earth and the Titan colonists. And at long last, the crew of Discovery is granted permission to visit Earth. But first, Adira has a request. She would like to join the crew of Discovery. Saru asks if it has something to do with being able to find the admiral, the one who sent the last message, the one who is, so we were told, long dead. Well, maybe he’s not exactly dead. But I’m all out of juice to be cryptic. Turns out, Adira IS the admiral. Or rather, she has part of him. She’s a Trill symbiant host.
This is a lot to drop on someone who’s first foray into Star Trek is Discovery, so allow me to apologize on behalf of a franchise that always has the best of intentions but still fumbles the ball sometimes. The Trill are a species of joined beings. Humanoid individuals, upon reaching a certain age, are able to be physically joined with symbiants-- parasitic creatures with extraordinary long lives. Adira here happens to be human, but has had a symbiant emplanted inside her, giving her the memories of the symbiants life, plus the memories of all the other hosts the symbiant has joined with. I know, it’s nuts, and it’s unfortunate that they just sort of slid it in at the last second like some “you’re not the father” Maury moment, but here we are, and we’re going to forgive them, because the next scene makes it all worth it.
It’s unfortunate that they just sort of slid it in at the last second like some “you’re not the father” Maury moment, but here we are.
Saru and Burnham are back in the ready room, which after two full episodes has finally been repaired from the crash damage. Saru discusses how Adira might have access to more knowledge about where Star Fleet has gone, who might be members, and how they might be found. Burnham, standing a little straighter, walking a little taller, and looking much more at ease in a Star Fleet uniform than she’s looked thus far, listens intently. She looks at him with regret. “I should have told you about my plan.”
Yes, she should have. But Saru is nothing if not understanding, and forgiving, particularly of Burnham, to whom he once offered the position of First Officer. She tells him she’ll need time, but the change that has come over her is unmistakable. She’s ready to come home. She’s ready to be his Number One. She’s ready to be Star Fleet again.
The episode closes with the rest of the bridge crew (conveniently, all human) visiting a tree on Earth that was once a part of Star Fleet grounds. The tree is enormous, and each crewman offers a memory of studying or sitting or chatting under the shade of its leaves. It’s a moment of homecoming that should be sweet, but is stained irreparably by the sad, small, cowardly version of itself Earth has become. But as Burnham says in the opening sequence of the episode in her letter to Discovery, “We didn’t give everything for this version of the future and I’ll be damned if I let it stand.” The crew is together again. Burnham is back in uniform. Earth has been reminded that fear isn’t always the best foot forward. And Discovery has a mission.
See you next week.
Sonia Van Meter is a political consultant based in Austin. She was a finalist in the Mars One project and is a partner in the Truman National Security Project. Follow her on Twitter at @bourbonface.
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